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The Greatest Race in the History of Spring

My vote would be for the mid-May race in Richmond.

But Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut already has claimed (and if they're smart, trademarked) the title.

You've probably seen Mark mention the race in the comments. So now you know.

Btw, the 35th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler is April 28 for anyone who lives up that way and doesn't have tickets to that weekend's Cup race in Not Connecticut.

Here's a history of the race; the track is updating the recaps daily. Hardcores will recognize some of the names - Richie Evans, Steve Park, Jimmy Spencer, Greg Sacks, Jeff Fuller (my nemesis in NASCAR Thunder 2003 on the PS2), etc.

Mark, here's your cue to educate us in the comments.

Comments (1)

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Mark said:

Thanks John, there are certain tracks that when I walked through the gates for the first time as a kid I just said WOW and this track is right behind Daytona and Martinsville. Keep in mind following racing back then meant reliance on any of a number of weekly racing papers, this place always lived up to the billing.

Back in the 70's if you competed at any of the local tracks in NJ, NY and PA, it meant nothing until you competed and won at Stafford.

Let's see, I quickly scanned the list of former Sizzler winners and I see:

3 former winners in Cup at Daytona
1. Bodine
2. Sacks
3. Spencer

1 former winner in Busch at Bristol
1. J Fuller

And buried in the field as competitors are former Cup winners Ron Bouchard and Steve Park, who by way is one of the select few to win in Cup, Busch, and Trucks.

An interesting aside is 2-time winner Maynard Troyer who is perhaps more famous as the car flipping down the backstretch during the "Agony of Defeat" voice over on the old "ABC Wide World of Sports". He would later make further lasting contributions to this day as a premier chassis builder, when you hear any modified driver including any at Bowmen Gray or Southern Modifieds refer to their car as a Troyer-built, it's this guy.

Finally, you'll see multiple race winner Richie Evans, quite frankly the best race car driver I ever watched compete in-person. My personal in-person list includes from Andretti through Yarbrough, Evans was the best.

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